1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for the management of networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to the automated management and coordination of network resources for the use of services over data networks.
2. The Relevant Technology
Managing data networks is challenging. Traditional data networks are complex closed systems. In these networks, the network operator and service providers are traditionally the same organization and services are tightly controlled. Services are provisioned and allocated in response to customer requests for service. The processes for executing these requests require human interaction and tend to be manually labor intensive and time consuming. In addition, network operators have to worry about fault management, changing configurations without affecting current services, adding new features, user setup and removal, etc. This also requires human interaction and is manually labor intensive and time consuming.
Network management concerns are magnified in open access network (OAN) environments. OAN refers to a data network operated by a network operator such that the network operator and the users of the network each have the ability to configure services. OANs are often realized with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology where the network architecture is very simple and fast. There are many examples of publicly-owned OANs including Utah's Utopia, Stockholm's Stokab, and Amsterdam's CityNet. Some private organizations have also built out OANs including Reggefiber, Quadracom, and MBC's network.
One benefit of an OAN is that an end user, also known as a subscriber, can typically receive services from a number of different service providers over the OAN. While this is a benefit for the subscriber, it creates a number of difficulties for the network operator; instead of managing services from just a single service provider as in closed networks, the network operator must now manage and coordinate services from a plurality of service providers.
OANs are often part of government broadband initiatives and typically involve home owners buying a physical network connection to the operator network. This low latency, high capacity connection then effectively becomes part of the home's amenities and the home owner separately subscribes to network services from any of the service providers that operate on this infrastructure. Many municipalities and some private companies are moving to provide high-speed network infrastructure to users to promote the use of OAN environments and to encourage innovation by allowing multiple service providers to provide services thereon.
The inherent complexity of roles and responsibilities in OANs, combined with the lack of automated network management in these environments, prevent OANs from being the enabler for innovation they were originally envisioned to be. In short, without automation, OANs degenerate to more complex versions of their “closed network” counterparts—for example, a human is still required in the loop to set up or change services between a subscriber and service provider, to detect and fix problems in the network, etc. In contrast, with the automated network management, control, and operation devices and methods presented herein, open access networks can be enabled to support services and applications that can truly exploit the capabilities of low latency and high capacity access networks.